And although we have said that
the use of this doctrine is for redargution, yet it is manifest the
degenerate and corrupt use is for caption and contradiction, which
passeth for a great faculty, and no doubt is of very great
advantage, though the difference be good which was made between
orators and sophisters, that the one is as the greyhound, which hath
his advantage in the race, and the other as the hare, which hath her
advantage in the turn, so as it is the advantage of the weaker
creature.
(7) But yet further, this doctrine of elenches hath a more ample
latitude and extent than is perceived; namely, unto divers parts of
knowledge, whereof some are laboured and other omitted. For first,
I conceive (though it may seem at first somewhat strange) that that
part which is variably referred, sometimes to logic, sometimes to
metaphysic, touching the common adjuncts of essences, is but an
elenche; for the great sophism of all sophisms being equivocation or
ambiguity of words and phrase, specially of such words as are most
general and intervene in every inquiry, it seemeth to me that the
true and fruitful use (leaving vain subtleties and speculations) of
the inquiry of majority, minority, priority, posteriority, identity,
diversity, possibility, act, totality, parts, existence, privation,
and the like, are but wise cautions against ambiguities of speech.
Pages:
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249